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Senior Stress Engineer - Advanced Composites

Hawthorne, CA, US • Posted 4 days ago • Updated 1 hour ago

Full Time

On-site

USD $175,000.00 - 215,000.00 per year

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Job Details

Skills

Startups
Financing
Design Analysis
System Requirements
Hardware QA
White-box Testing
Drawing
Computer Hardware
Technical Direction
Product Development
Customer Facing
Materials Science
Stress Analysis
Finite Element Analysis
FEA
Mechanical Engineering
Test Methods
Analytical Skill
Failure Analysis
ROOT
GD&T
Technical Communication
Collaboration
Optical Fiber
Abaqus
Manufacturing
Aerospace
Testing
Presentations
Leadership
Health Insurance
Insurance
Structural Analysis
Structural Engineering
AV
Audiovisual

Startups
Financing
Design Analysis
System Requirements
Hardware QA
White-box Testing
Drawing
Computer Hardware
Technical Direction
Product Development
Customer Facing
Materials Science
Stress Analysis
Finite Element Analysis
FEA
Mechanical Engineering
Test Methods
Analytical Skill
Failure Analysis
ROOT
GD&T
Technical Communication
Collaboration
Optical Fiber
Abaqus
Manufacturing
Aerospace
Testing
Presentations
Leadership
Health Insurance
Insurance
Structural Analysis
Structural Engineering
AV
Audiovisual

Summary

Senior Composites Stress Engineer - Advanced Aerospace Structures

Hawthorne, California | On-site

Opportunity Summary

Join a well-funded advanced manufacturing startup developing high-performance composite structures for aerospace and defense applications. The company is scaling a new manufacturing approach designed to produce complex fiber-reinforced components significantly faster and more efficiently than traditional composite processes. As the Senior Composites Stress Engineer, you will become the primary owner of structural analysis for a new class of composite materials and components. You will build the company's FEA capability from the ground up, develop and validate material models, guide structural design decisions, and connect simulation results with physical testing and manufacturing data. This is a hands-on technical ownership role with significant influence over how composite structures are analyzed, designed, tested, and ultimately brought into production.

About Us

We are an early-stage advanced manufacturing company developing lightweight composite hardware for demanding aerospace and defense applications. Following a significant seed financing, the company is expanding engineering and manufacturing capabilities as it moves from technology development toward larger-scale production. The team works across materials, design, analysis, testing, manufacturing, and production to develop composite components capable of meeting demanding structural and environmental requirements.

Job Duties

Own structural and stress analysis for fiber-reinforced composite components and assemblies
Establish the company's FEA methodology, including software selection, model architecture, material parameters, validation methods, and engineering standards
Develop and refine nonlinear and composite FEA models for novel material systems
Use structural analysis to optimize composite geometry, weight, strength, stiffness, and overall performance
Develop analysis methods for both continuous and discontinuous fiber-reinforced structures
Translate material properties, manufacturing constraints, load cases, and system requirements into accurate simulation models
Correlate analytical predictions with coupon, subcomponent, and full-scale hardware testing
Design mechanical test methods and fixtures to validate material behavior and structural performance
Support hands-on execution of structural testing and analyze resulting test data
Perform failure analysis and root cause investigations on development and production hardware
Work closely with design and manufacturing engineers to incorporate analysis results into product development
Support CAD development, drawing creation, and GD&T where required to move designs into hardware
Define structural requirements and provide technical direction throughout product development
Support customer-facing technical discussions involving structural performance and analysis
Document analysis methodologies, assumptions, results, and validation data
Help establish scalable structural analysis processes as the engineering organization grows

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, Composites Engineering, or a related technical discipline
3+ years of professional experience performing structural or stress analysis of composite materials and structures
Strong experience developing and refining finite element models for composite materials
Demonstrated ability to develop analysis approaches for new materials, architectures, or applications without relying solely on established models
Experience defining material properties, boundary conditions, load cases, failure criteria, and other FEA inputs
Experience using FEA to optimize composite structures for weight and mechanical performance
Strong understanding of composite material behavior and structural failure modes
Experience developing mechanical test methods for coupons, representative structures, or full-scale components
Experience correlating analytical models with physical test results
Experience performing failure analysis and root cause investigations
Strong CAD proficiency with experience creating parts, assemblies, and engineering drawings
Working knowledge of GD&T
Strong technical communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
Ability to work on-site in El Segundo, California
U.S. Person status required due to export control regulations

Preferred Experience

Experience analyzing both continuous-fiber laminates and chopped or discontinuous fiber composites
Abaqus experience
Nonlinear structural analysis experience
Thermal or coupled thermal-structural analysis experience
Composite manufacturing experience
Aerospace or defense structural analysis experience
Experience analyzing structures subjected to extreme acceleration, impact, dynamic loading, or other demanding environments
Experience developing custom material models, failure criteria, or novel analysis methodologies
Experience working directly with composite testing and characterization
Experience presenting structural analysis and technical recommendations to customers or senior leadership
Experience working within an early-stage company or small multidisciplinary engineering team

Why Join Us

Significant stock option opportunity
Potential additional compensation
10+ vacation days annually
5 paid sick days annually
Paid holidays and additional company days off
Daily company-provided lunch
401(k) with employer matching up to 4%
Medical insurance with employer contribution
Dental and vision insurance with employer contribution
Company-paid life, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance
Opportunity to establish and own the company's structural analysis capability
Clear growth potential as the structural engineering organization expands
Opportunity to build and eventually lead a team of structural and stress engineers

Compensation Details

$175,000 - $215,000

#LI-AV

Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.

Dice Id: 80183540
Position Id: 58276479965ab49809dbdb5ca6fead5c
Posted 4 days ago

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